The Lower Extremity
In this lab you will be learning about the bones and landmarks of the lower extremity.
Begin by clicking on the following to orient the skeleton:
Highlight and identify the following bones:
Coxal (called the osseous part of the hip bone)
Femur
Patella
Tibia
Fibula
Talus
Metatarsals
Phalanges
Click on the following to see just the lower extremity bones:
Using your textbook and the thumbwheel to rotate the image identify the same bones again.
Click on the following to view just the pelvis:
Using your textbook identify the 3 parts of the coxal bone. These are the ilium, ischium and pubis. The coxal bone is actually 3 bones that are fused. The ilium is the largest of the 3 bones. The ilium forms a joint with the sacrum known as the sacroiliac joint. The ischium contains an area known as the ischial tuberosity. When you sit you are sitting on the ischium, particularly the ischial tuberosity. The pubic bone is the smallest of these 3 bones and is in the front.
Rotate the pelvis 180 degrees to view the posterior pelvis.
Click on the following to see the addition of the sacrum:
Notice how the sacrum connects to the ilium of the coxal bone forming the sacroiliac joint.
Click on the following to see the rest of the lower extremity:
Identify the following parts of the femur using your text:
Femur
Greater trochanter
Lesser trochanter
Head
Neck
Femoral condyles
Patella
The trochanters are located at the widest part of the hips. They are attachment sites for strong muscles such as the gluteals. Notice the long neck of the femur. This is where fractures from osteoporosis generally occur. The femoral condyles form the superior portion of the knee joint.
Using your text identify the following parts of the tibia and fibula:
Tibial tuberosity
Tibial condyles
Medial Malleolus
Head of fibula
Lateral Malleolus
Click on the following to view a close-up of the knee:
Dissect away the patella by clicking on it.
Dissect away the articular cartilage of the patella by clicking on it.
Dissect away the cortical bone of the femur, trabecular bone of the femur, and the distal cartilage of the femur right.
Click on the following to see the medial and lateral meniscus.
Dissect away the cortical bone of the femur, trabecular bone of the femur, and the distal cartilage of the femur right.
Observe the medial and lateral meniscus.
The meniscus is a fibrocartilagenous disc much like the discs in the spine.
Click on the following to see the ankle:
Highlight and identify the following bones:
Talus (osseous part of talus right)
Calcaneus (osseous part of calcaneus right)
Navicular (osseous part of navicular right)
Cuboid (osseous part of cuboid right)
Intermediate cunneaform (osseous part of cunneaform right)
Medial cunneaform (osseous part of medial cunneaform right)
Metatarsals
Phalanges
Notice how the arrangement of metatarsals and phalanges is similar to that of the hand.
Using the thumbwheel rotate the ankle around to get a good look at how these bones fit together.
This concludes the lower extremity lab.